In order to promote Chinese tea culture and allow international students to experience the profound and extensive traditional Chinese culture, on April 26, during the Guyu season, the School of Humanities and International Educational Exchange organized a cultural exchange activity titled "Experiencing Traditional Chinese Culture: International Students' Tea Picking Journey". Over 20 international students from Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, and other countries traveled to the Baiyun Chunhao Tea Culture Research Base in Lujiang. There, they joined local tea farmers to learn about recognizing, picking, processing, and tasting tea, embarking on a unique and educational journey into tea culture.
Following the guidance of tea-picking masters, the international students wove through the tea gardens, enjoying the fun of picking tea. Everyone carried tea baskets, moving between the verdant tea bushes. With each pinch and lift, tender green tea buds were gathered into their baskets. They reveled in the lush greenery of the tea gardens, the refreshing ambiance, and the fragrant aroma clinging to their hands.
During the tea processing phase, the international students were eager and enthusiastic. With the fresh buds they had picked, they entered the tea processing center. A tea master deeply explained the various steps involved, including spreading the leaves to cool, air-drying, rolling, and drying. In the "drying the green" step, which involves a pan heated to over 200 degrees Celsius, the students skillfully stir-fried the leaves. They witnessed the transformation as the tender green leaves were repeatedly stir-fried, losing their raw greenness and eventually turning into fragrant, finished tea leaves.
After the activity, Seville, an international student from Morocco, reflected, "This is my first experience with Chinese tea culture, and it's amazing. I sincerely admire the greatness of Chinese tea culture."
The air was filled with the fragrance of tea, shared internationally. This tea culture study event deepened the international students' understanding of traditional Chinese culture, spread the tea culture, and allowed them to personally experience the cultural charm embodied in a cup of "Chinese tea."
